HC Deb 21 July 1936 vol 315 c275W
Mr. DAY

asked the President of the Board of Trade the share of Great Britain's exports of the world's aggregate exports for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date, and to give comparable figures or percentages for the year 1913?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

According to statistics compiled by the League of Nations, the United Kingdom's share of the export trade of the world was 13.9 per cent. in 1913 and 10.8 per cent. in 1935. These figures are however, not strictly comparable for the following reasons:

  1. (1) The creation of the Irish Free State has resulted in a change in the statistical area covered by the term "United Kingdom."
  2. (2) The creation of new States since the War has resulted in certain trade formerly internal being now recorded as foreign trade, thus making an apparent increase in the world total.
  3. (3) The League of Nations total for 1913 did not include the trade of the Netherlands, since that country's ex port statistics then included a large un defined proportion of transit trade.